Electric switch-board



(No Model.)

L. P. FOUTS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH BOARD. I

Patented Nov. 22,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAMBERT F. FOUTS, OF GREENFIELD, IOIVA.

ELECTRIC SWITCH-BOARD.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,919, dated November22, 1881.

Application filed April 8, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAMBERT FnEDnnIo FOUTS, of Greenfield, in the countyof Adair and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Electrical Switch- Boards; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved switch-board foruse in connection with annunciator or burglar alarms. The several doorsand windows of a dwelling, hotel, or other structure, or any otherdesired points, are connected in a closed circuit with a battery, analarm, and my improved switch-board, the latter havinga pivoted buttonand fixed post for each door or pointin the circuit. When a break ismade-as, for instance, when a door is opened--it may be located bymoving one or more of said buttons until the restoration of the circuitthrough branch wires connected with the aforesaid posts and theconsequent arrest of the alarm give the required indications.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a plan view, showing my improved switch-board, and alsoillustrating the connection with doors, windows, battery, and alarm.Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the switch-board, one of the buttonsbeing placed in the position required to complete the broken maincircuit through branch wires.

The letter A indicates a base-board or bedpiece, constructed of wood orother material which is a non'conducter of electricity. To the face ofthe board is pivoted a series of switch-buttons, B B 850., that are freeto swing horizontally. Their free ends rest normally on metallic postsor plates 0 0 &c., which are isolated or otherwise insulated, and passthrough the board A, as shown in Fig. 2. These posts 0 and the pivotalpoint of said switch-buttons B are arranged in parallel lines, and thenumber of the posts exceeds that of the buttons by one, while the numberof the latter corresponds to the aggregate number of doors and windowsconnected in the primary circuit. The wire D completes such circuitbetween the several doors and windows and a battery, E, alarm F, and theswitch-board A that is to say, each door and window has wires ormetallic plates attached to it in such manner that when thedoororwindowis closed such wires or plates are in mechanical contact withsections of the wire D, and thus form parts or contiuuations of theelectrical circuit, which is constantly maintained through the batteryE. In this instance, as a matter of convenconnections will be broken,and hence the electrical circuit also, so that, the magnet of the alarmF being no longer charged,its armature will be released, thus allowingthe alarm to sound.

I connect the posts 0, &c., on the rear of the switch-board A and a likenumber of points in the primary circuit by means of a series of wires, 12 3 4 5. Each of these points of connection is located between twodoors, d 01 or windows w Q02, or between a door or window, as the casemay be. If, now, we suppose the switch-buttons B B &c., to rest on theirrespective posts 0 0 &c., as shown in full lines, Fig. 1, and door (2'to be then opened, the circuit through wire D will be broken, whichfact will be instantly indicated by the sounding of the alarm F. Todetermine'which door or window of the series has been thus opened, thelever B is moved into the notch or crevice between its post 0 and thecontiguous one, 0 thus metallicall y connecting such posts andreestablishing the circuit through the connecting-wires-l and 2, whichlead from posts 0 C to points respectively on the left and right of thedoor (1. So soon as the circuit has been thus restored the battery-current again charges the magnet, and hence arrests the action of thealarm F, which fact announces that the break is at door 61. Similarly,if the door (1 be opened, the alarm F will be sounded, as before, andthe break may be located as follows: first, turn the firstswitch-button, B, to the right, as in the previous case, which will notarrest the alarm F, so that it will be apparent the door d is not theone that has been opened. Consequently switch-button B is next moved tothe right until it looks in the crevice between posts 0 0 when the alarmwill cease, since the circuit will be thus reestablished through thebranch or connecting wires 2 and 3 and posts 0 C. In other words, anypair of the wires 1 2 3 4 5 6 may form with any two posts and a buttonan electrical bridge between any two points in the primary circuit.

It will be apparent that two or more breaks may be located at the sametime, if required, or the invention may be applied in connection with adrop-annuneiator, such as is often used in hotels and telephone centraloffices.

What I claim as new is- 1. The combination, substantially as shown 20and described, of a series of pivoted switchbuttons, B, &c.,corresponding in number to the doors, &e., connected in an electricalcir-.

cuit therewith, a series of posts, 0, &c.,whose number exeeds by onethat of the switch-buttons, and a series of wires for connecting suchposts with points in the primary circuit, as and for the purpose setforth.

2. The combination of the series of switchbuttons and the series ofposts, whose number is greater by one, said posts being insulated fromeach other, but arranged contiguously, so that when a button is moved asspecifiedit will lock in the notch or slot between two posts, and thusbe in metallic contact with both for the purpose of forming anelectrical bridge, as shown and described.

LAMBERT FREDERIO FOUTS.

Vitnesses:

J NO. E. HILL, W. L. FREEMAN.

